Letter-box



(No M0de1.\

L. -EHRLIGE LETTER BOX.

No.- 409,02`7. Patented Aug. 13, 18.89.,

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. LEO EIIRLIOII, OE sr. LOUIS7 MISSOURI.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 409,027, dated August 13, 1889. Application filed November 14, 1888. Serial No. 290,782. (No model.)

To all whom t 17m/y concern:

Be it known that I, LEO EHRLIGH, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptioinreference being had to the accompanying` drawings, forming part of this Specification.

This is an improvement in devices for automatically changing the notice upon the box which indicates the time of the next collection Of the contents of the box by connecting with the door a movable plate or other object in such a way that the same is moved each time the door is opened to bring other numbers in sight.

My invention consists in novel features of construction hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a vertical section at I VIII, Fig. III, showing the device applied to a collection mail-box, with a time-indicator at theloox and also at each of the receiving-mouths of a chute, by which letters are conducted to the box from the .various stories of a building. Fig. II is a side view of t-he box. Fig. III is a section at III III, Fig. VIII. Fig. IV is a detail side view of an indicator at one of the chutemoutlls. Fig. V is a section at V V, Fig. IV. Fig. VI is a section at VI VI, Fig. V. Fig. VII is a face view of an indicating-disk. Fig. VIII is a section at I VIII, indicating by broken lilies the position of the parts when the door is open.

The Wall of a building is indicated at l and the loors at 2, Fig. I.

3 is a letter-box, which may be of any size and form of construction.

4. is a Slot for the entrance of the letters, duc.

5 is the door, which is Shown as Working on hinges 6 at the bottom, but which may have the hinges on either side or the top, if preferred. The slot 4. Inay be placed in any suitable part of the top, front, or sides. It forms no part of my invention.

7 is a chute, through which letters pass from any of the receiviiigmioutlis 8 into the box As an indicator I have shown a circular plate or disk 9 iixed rigidly to a shaft 10 and turning' at the rear of a plate 11, which has making collection of the contents of the letter-box. The Shaft 10 has attached to it a ratchet-wheel 14 and a sheave or pulley 15.

16 is a pawl pivoted to a lever 17, that isl fulcrumed upon the shaft l0. The pawl acts on the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, turning the shaft a part of a revolution at each oscillation of the arm. There is one of the ratchetteeth for each of the parts 13 of the disk 9, of'

which six are shown, the disk being constructed to Inove Onesixth of a revolution at 'each movement.

I do not limit myself to any stated number of the parts 13; but whatever their number there must be an equal number of teeth or a multiple of that number. The lever 17 carries a stud Or pin 18, which works in a slot 19 of a link20, hinged to the door by a lug 2l. The construction is such that the Opening of the door will Inove the pawl backward the length of one tooth, and consequently as the door is again closed the disk is moved around so as to carry the next part or division 13 of the plate or disk 9 to the aperture 12, and thus the next time of collection is indicated.

To work the indicators 9 at the` various mouths 8 of the conduit., a belt 22 passes once or more around the sheave 15, and also once or more around. sheaves 23 upon the indicators Shaft 10 at each of the mouths S. The indicator itself and the plate 11, With aperture 12 in these places, are similar to those before described, except that they may vary in size, as shown, if preferred. In place of the belt 22, a geanchain may be used, or other well-known means may be employed to convey motion from the sheave 15 to the sheaves 23.

I claim herein as new and of my invention- 1. The combination, with a letter-box, of a chute leading to the box and indicators upon the box, and chute operated by movement of the door of the letterbox, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a letter-box and a chute leading thereto, of the indicator 9, indicatorshaft 10, carrying a ratchet-wheel, a

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lever carrying a pawl actingr on the ratchetwheel7 a link connecting the lever with the door, a sheave on the indicator-shaft, and a belt connecting this sheave with sheaves on the shaft of a rotary indicator upon the 'chui e, substantially as set forth.

il. The combination, with a letter-box and ohnte leading to the box, of rotary disks in the Walls of the box and chute, plates outside the disks, havingl apertures l2 to expose parts of the disks, earryingnnarks indicating' the 

